Photography © Saxon Holt / PhotoBotanica.com
About Sustainable Novato
We are Novato residents working together to help create a healthier, more economically vital, and socially equitable city. Sustainable Novato advocates for practical steps that can take us toward that goal. We encourage sustainable living and work towards systemic change to reduce climate risk by supporting clean energy, water conservation, green transportation, more workforce housing, and eliminating the use of toxins.
We support vibrant locally owned and operated, greener businesses, and a more transparent and efficient government. We are dedicated to working constructively, cooperatively, and inclusively with local government and our fellow community members toward these objectives.
We are an all-volunteer non-profit organization working to encourage more sustainable living in our city. We have worked with the City of Novato to adopt a climate action plan, a zero-waste resolution, and a green building ordinance. We have also worked with Novato Sanitary District to move toward a greener waste franchise agreement. Our various community forums on the localization of business, zero waste, clean energy, low-carbon transportation, and reduction of toxics have been aired on Marin public television stations.
Sustainable Novato is part of a network of independent Marin Sustainable city groups and coordinates our efforts through Sustainable Marin, our county-wide information and services exchange.
Our Mission
Sustainable Novato’s mission is to educate, encourage and support the Novato community to take action to reduce our carbon footprint, live sustainably, and advocate for local policies that reduce Novato’s environmental impact to ensure a more sustainable and equitable future for the whole planet.
- We strive to educate and motivate the community to take actions — big and small — to live more sustainably.
- We advocate for equitable local policies to reduce our carbon footprint.
- We coordinate with other sustainability-minded organizations to support broader efforts to create a more ecologically sustainable and equitable world
Board of Directors
Patricia Ravitz, President
Patricia has been a long time advocate for the environment and received the Resource Conservation Award from the Sierra Club Marin Group in 2001 for her leadership in the Citizen’s to Save Bahia referendum, saving the Bahia Blue Oak Forrest, wetlands and habit for future generations.
Patricia has a Master’s Degree in Community Program Development and has been in leadership roles in several political campaigns. She is passionate about the environment, animal rights, and healing mother earth.
Tim Blofeld, Vice President
Transplanted from the UK to Novato in 1997, Tim became involved in local schools as his children grew, ultimately helping propel Novato Unified School District’s Solar program to fruition. With a global perspective from a career in international logistics, he is an enthusiastic solar supporter and clean-energy advocate wherever new opportunities arise. Striving for net-zero with an electric car and rooftop solar, a remaining ambition is to fly electric, combining two long-held passions.
Stefana Simonetto, Treasurer
Stefana is a new member of the Novato community and attended her first board meeting before she finished unpacking the moving boxes. As a communications consultant, she regularly works with organizations addressing the health and equity impacts of the climate crisis. She is passionate about issues of environmental justice and working toward a healthier and more equitable future for everyone, and joined the board in the hopes of making an impact in her new home.
Michael Barry
A 20-year resident of Novato, Michael has a passion for safety and sustainability. As a consultant in the Energy and Utility Industry, he enjoys focusing on compliance, risk modeling, demand response, rate reform, and energy efficiency. He has made a concerted effort to reduce his footprint on the environment, adjusting his lifestyle and embracing human, wind, and gravity-powered sports. He has been educating himself and yearns to make a greater contribution to the health of the planet.
Donn Davy
The founder of the Bay Area Environmental Education Resource (BAEER) Fair, Donn recently retired as a green building consultant, home performance specialist, and energy auditor. He has “deep retrofitted” his already highly efficient home which has two charging stations for the two electric cars he and his wife Nancy drive, powered by solar PV panels on their home’s roof, and now backed up by battery. Donn urges everyone to do their utmost to shrink their carbon footprint: climate change has become an urgent emergency.
Kevin Field
A proud citizen of Novato for ten years (by way of Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest), Kevin specializes in digital technology, including AR and VR, gaming, and visual effects. Kevin is focused on encouraging residents to live sustainably, and making sure all social and economic classes are included in environmental advocacy. The father of two, Kevin is especially interested in working with children to encourage sustainable awareness and habits among the next generation.
Marla Fields
A member of Sustainable Novato for many years, Marla has been active in the Hamilton Community, chaired the “Cool the Earth” educational program, and managed a Safe Routes to School task force. A leader in the SMART campaign, Marla is a key Novato advocate for a city housing element, sound town planning, and renewable energy. She earned an MBA from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Trevor Hendron
I have always felt that part of our responsibility to each other is to protect and steward the environment for all future generations to enjoy. Our planet is one of the most amazing natural gifts that we get to experience in life. I want to make sure that the beauty and power of exploration is available to all, for generations to come. In my daily life as an engineer I am thrilled with all of the emerging technologies, and am excited for the opportunities that they present us. However, I am also very frustrated for how difficult it is to be "environmentally conscious" even when you have the right intentions. I am excited to join Sustainable Novato in an effort to make sustainable decisions and sustainable living more accessible for everyone. There is so much room for immediate improvement, there is no excuse to loose out on those opportunities as we continue our fight towards a greener, more sustainable future!
Heidi Kertel
Heidi has lived in Novato for 35 years. She has a lifelong passion for cooking with real foods. She is a former caterer, cooking teacher, and kitchen designer. In 2005, her interest in food and cooking expanded into a new direction after watching a documentary called The Future of Food. The documentary was a turning point. Her interest in food became more of a quest to connect the dots of food and our environment. Today her passion is seeking out food that is organic, local, and environmentally responsible. How we shop for food, what foods we buy, and how it is prepared is directly related to our climate crisis. To embellish on Wendel Berry’s quote, “Eating is an agricultural act”, Eating is an environmental act.